Tanoshitoishi
by Lu-Lu Hoshino
Summary: Sohma Kyo is lost in the mountains of Kanazawa, Japan, for he is deserted by his comrade, who played an unknown trick on him. Unfortunately, he locates a suburb with no public accommodation. Though, luckily, he finds a shop with a very friendly owner...
1. Quaintness

**'Tanoshitoishi' - By: Lu-Lu**

**Fiction Information: Disclaimer & Dedication**

Fruits Basket manga is copyrighted by Natsuki Takaya and its anime series was adapted by Daichi Akitaro. (Also: Hakusensha, Studio Deen, NAS, TV Tokyo; © FUNimation; © TOKYOPOP, Inc.) Thus, never will I claim Fruits Basket as my own. This is a fan and non-profit fiction only.

I would like to dedicate this fan fiction to the lovely Miss Ritsuko Okazaki. She is the singer of the opening and ending theme songs for the anime series, who passed away last year (2004) in the month of May, due to septic shock. R.I.P.

**Chapter 1: Quaintness**

As the frozen vapour slowly falls in light white flakes from the faintly luminous sky, a suburb's street in Kanazawa gradually fills with snow. Not many cars are driving about and the streetlights are as bright as the morning sun.

Kyo Sohma searches around, feeling exhausted, angry and…"Dammit! I'm starving!"

His stomach grumbles in agree. He has been hiking down a mountain with his heavy belongings for hours and had just reached a suburb when night has fallen.

"I swear I could eat the next thing I see!" said the irritated Kyo, who was thinking of _sashimi_ (raw fish). After a short moment, he shrugged. With his eyes set on the ground while walking, he turns onto a street corner and collides with an over-sized man that stumbled for 3 seconds and ended up with his bulky bottom flat on the ground.

"DAMN YOU! Why don't you watch where y----", Kyo paused and lost his voice on the moment he looked at the over-sized man on the ground. He recalled what he swore earlier, that he would "eat the next thing I see". He stood still for a moment…

"That's freakin' sick!" he shouted inside his head while a shiver went down his spine.

"…Sorry…" Kyo finally found his voice again, "uh…let me help you up."

"_Arigatou!…_" said the man with a big-appreciation smile and eyes like two upside-down 'u' on his face after Kyo supported him up.

"You're a very nice kid…very strong too! To think that I fell flat on the ground and you are still standing like a superb and mighty rock, when I'm a man with a sumo figure!" He laughed loudly, with some tiny saliva spitting of his massive mouth.

Kyo's only response was a bewildered and appalled smile. "Great…" he says to himself, "another feeling: …confused."

"Hah… Sorry about that", apologised the sumo wrestler-like man, as he wipe his watery-eyes to conclude his laugh. "Anyhow, do you need any help? It's getting quite dark and you shouldn't be walking along the streets alone in the middle of the night. And you must be tired from carrying those heavy-looking things."

"YES! - HELL YES!", Kyo yelled in his mind. In fact, he has been hungry for hours and he really is exhausted from walking and both his hands and back will soon surrender from carrying those heavy belongings of his. His emotions are mixed: angry, annoyed, cold, exhausted, disappointed and confused.

"Uh…yeah… Do you know any hotels, motels or anything like that around here?" Kyo finally asked, calmly ignoring the voice in his head.

"Actually, they're about 3 suburbs away from here. The only nearest one around where we are now is a small shop about 200 metres away in that direction", he points. "…Although…" the over-sized man chuckled and smiled slyly, "you could spend the night at my place…"

Kyo could not believe his dark-ruby eyes. "That look on his face…" a quivering voice in his head spoke, "w-was he…" he gulps, "trying to HIT ON ME!"

Suddenly, Kyo's body blazed in red.

"Thanks for the direction…you…YOU HOMOSEXUAL!" Kyo roared, then he quickly picked up his belongings and dashed away.

The man with the sumo figure stood still as he watched the kid run swiftly. He was somehow puzzled and dumbfounded.

( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )

"Wha-haah-tha-haah-hell…!" Kyo was breathless; his energy was drained. He discontinued running and layed his baggage on the ground, then leaned his right hand on an icy metal pole. He repeatedly inhaled until oxygen filled his lungs.

"What the hell was he on!"

Due to Kyo's disturbed and disgusted mind, for a moment, he forgets that it was a snowy night and that he had no place to stay. He bent over to pick up his stuff when he saw a lit and colourful sign above a fairly small snack shop.

"About time!" Kyo smiled happily, completely ignoring his diverse emotions.

He walked towards the shop. The transparent door had an 'open' sign hanging on it and he could see a figure moving around inside. He reached for the doorknob and twisted it. He gently pushed the door and bell chimes were heard.

A girl in a white skin fitted wool jumper and black knee-length cotton skirt was wiping a table.

"_Konbanwa! Gomen nasa_--- (Good Evening! I'm sorr---)" greeted the girl, who all of a sudden paused for a little while.

"Oh!" she gasped, "are you alright! My goodness! You look frail!...But your cheeks are so red!" The girl spoke again, however, this time her voice did not sound merry, instead, it sounded shocked and worried. She rushed to the stranger, took his bags and placed them on a table. She turns to him.

"Oh! Your coat is soaked with snow! You should take it off", the worried girl stretched her arms out for the stranger to pass his coat. "It's alright, it's not that chilly in here", she added.

Kyo stripped off his coat and handed it to her. She quickly took it and went outside the shop, then dusted away the unmelted snowflakes. Kyo turned 180 degrees to watch the strange girl. The girl rushed back inside.

"I'll put your coat in the dryer if you don't mind"

"Oh…um...I don't mind…"

"Okay! Oh and after I do that, I'll make some hot drinks. Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Uh…tea...I guess…"

"Tea it is! ----- Ah! That's right! I've already put them inside…"

"…Ha?"

"I'll just go and make them inside, okay? Please sit down on one of the chairs and make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a tick!"

She walks behind the main counter and goes through a baby pink door with cute _chibi _(miniature) cartoon characters, each holding a different type of fruit, posters posted on it.

Kyo bewilderedly sits on one of the 3 chairs around the table where his belongings were. His head whispers "…do you mind telling me what just happened?" but his mouth was speechless. He exhales heavily in relief, as he leans his back on the chair. Sitting down was contentment enough for him. With his head aloft, he reads the _nomimono_ (drinks) section of the menu, which affixed on the wall behind the main counter.

"_Koucha _(tea)… ¥300 (300 yen)" he mutters to himself.

Kyo's eyes wandered around the snack shop. "Colourful…but not annoying in the eyes. Cute…I guess", an opinion of his that stunned even himself.

'_Tanoshitoishi_' is the name of this 'colourful and cute' snack shop. Its size approximates 4 in length by 3.5 in width, with assorted coloured and decorated wallpaper on each side. There were 4 tables in total that lined up oppositely to the main entrance door. The first table is set on the very far corner of the shop with five seats, attached to the floor and wall, semi-circuitously around the table with additional two loose seats. The three other tables, along with three chairs each, were aligned to the first.

A particular corner caught Kyo's eyes, the right side corner of the main counter, or the west side, if standing in front of the main door. It was a large 'notice board' full of messages in little papers, stucked-on with some photos of mainly teenagers.

"This must be one of those places where teenagers hangs around after school or somethin'," he thought.

All of a sudden, he remembers about his cell phone. But, just as soon as he extends his hands to grab one of his bags, the girl in black and white returns.

"I'm sorry that took a little while, but that's because I heated up some miso soup, _nikujiyaga_ (beef and vegetables with soup) and _yakitori_ (chicken on skewers) and made some fresh _onigiri _(rice balls)!"

The girl happily presents a tray of food and drink and placed it on the table adjacent to Kyo.

"Silly me! How will you eat with these bags on your table!" she tapped her head then she shifted his belongings on to the floor. She then moves the tray to Kyo's table and sits on the chair opposing his.

"_Douzo meshiagatte kudasai_! (Please help yourself!)"

Kyo was absolutely surprised. Despite his aversion to surprises, this was an exception because it was so overwhelming… He was so overwhelmed that tears were setting forth from his eyes. Tears of joy, that is.

"_Itadakimasu_!" Kyo said blissfully with a smile on his face. ('_Itadakimasu_', meaning 'I gratefully receive this meal', is traditionally said before every meal in Japan.)

He eagerly swallowed his first bite on the _yakitori_. Next, a mouthful of _onigiri_, then _nikujiyaga_, then _onigiri_ again, then _yakitori_ for the second time.

"Ah!" he swallows, "I'm in heaven!"

The girl giggled and Kyo came back to reality and blushed. "What the heck are you doing! Your acting like an idiot!" he scolded himself, in his own head of course.

"Um… what's your name?" he spoke as if trying to conceal his blush.

"I'm Honda, Tohru! And you?"

"Sohma, Kyo…" he takes a big sip of his tea.

"Oh!" she smiles and drinks a little bit of her tea. "Nice to meet you, Sohma-san!"

Kyo was silent for a moment, which left Tohru confused.

"Don't call me that, that's taken…" he swallowed in some _nikujiyaga_, "by this stupid guy that you wouldn't want to know."

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry… Kyo-san…?" she said, anxious to know his response.

"It's all good," he takes a sip out of the miso soup, "hey, isn't 'Tohru' a guy's name?"

"Hahaha! Yes it is! My mother have always liked that name, so, she decided to name me it!" She smiled. Her voice sounded like a young girl and her face showed her admiration towards her mother.

"Heh…Well Tohru-kun, I usually don't do miso or anything with leeks because -- it's the most stupidest vegetable ever planted in this entire world," he said quite loudly that it frightened Tohru a tiny bit, "but your cooking made it taste like an actual food."

"Oh, I don't know…I mean, it could be just the quality of the leek!" she responded humbly.

Kyo laughed. "Never heard that one before."

He continued to eat his delicious meal, his oh-so-scrumptious meal. It has such a delightful taste that he wish he had more as he eats the remaining _onigiri_.

"Hey, uh, thanks for the meal…It was..nice," he spoke in a tone that sounded somewhat strange. He was slightly embarrassed and was trying to hide it by sounding 'normal' even though he really wanted to show her his gratitude. He was never good at complimenting, especially girls.

"No problem! I'm just glad that you liked it!" she said gladly as she began cleaning up.

"_Ikura desu ka? _(How much?)," his voice sounding blunt, "for the whole thing, I mean."

"Ee?…" she discontinued her doings. "Ooh! -- It's on the house! ---- Oh! And, would you like some water? I could get some when I put these inside. Oh and I should get your coat as well, it should be dried by now."

"Err… yeah, sure, thanks..."

Tohru goes back inside through the baby pink door with the tray of used dishes and cups. Kyo was unbelieved. He ate one of the most satisfying meals and yet it was all for free.

"Why the heck would she do that?" he thought. "Ha. It probably had poison in them or somethin…"

Another thing about Kyo, instead of being positive about or towards himself, he contemplates the negatives. He was actually beginning to feel suspicious. However, he couldn't help not to doubt the girl. "Her appearance seems to be angelic and she's also kind" says the 'good' side of Kyo in sort of anxiety tone. "Nyeh. She has probably done something bad to your coat!" objects the 'evil' side of him in his own world. Kyo viciously shook his head and returns reality.

"My cell phone." He said out of the blue, sounding as if he's a 'medium'.

He looks in the first bag: negative, it's not there. He searches in the second bag: nope, ain't there. He then explores his third bag, which is a backpack:

"Hell! Where is it!" he exclaimed, irritation flowed in his body.

Tohru swiftly returns, astonished and clearly worried. She placed the glass of water and his coat aside on the counter bench.

"What's wrong Kyo-san!"

"Gah! -- It's my phone, I can't find it."

"Do you remember when you had it last?"

"No. -- Actually, I don't remember anything before I woke up…" his tone was less and question marks were popping out from his head.

Kyo just realised that he does not recall what happened before he came back to life from the mountains. All he knew was…

"Here!" she hands him the shops' cordless phone, "you can try to call it and see if anybody picks up."

Kyo dials his number and waits. "It's ringing…" It kept ringing and ringing, but he still waited for an answer.

"Oh! Someone picked up!" he announced in such fortunate tone. "Uh, hey…The phone you're using right now actually belongs to m--"

"WRRROOOAAHHHHH!" Suddenly, bears roared, via phone, before Kyo could finish his sentence.

"GAAAAAHHHHHH!" Kyo shrieked in horrify then he deliberately threw the cordless phone across the other side of the shop.

"Kyo-san, Kyo-san! What's happening!" a terrified young voice came out from Tohru. She immediately picked up the phone and placed it upon her ears.

"WRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

"AHHHHHH!" Tohru quickly hanged up the phone, thanks to her rapid reflex, but panic ran through her body. "What was that Kyo-san!"

Kyo was still terrified. He was frozen. He couldn't believe it! It was so unexpected! Moments later, he became aware of his loss.

"Damn! Now some bear got my phone!" the annoyance in his voice was clear. "Just my freakin' luck. First, there're no hotels in this damned place and now I have no way on communi--"

"The hotels are 3 suburbs away from here and it's getting really, really late," Tohru interrupts, "Kyo-san, it's best for you to spend the night here."

"WHAT?" Kyo was shocked… Very shocked.

"It's alright! I have the whole house to my self! My two best friends that also lives here are currently away," she smiles, "and my mother is in another country, working."

"B-but…" he stutters, "y-you're a--"

"Please, Kyo-san! I insist! It is for your own benefit after all!" she begs with a sympathetic aura in the air…

( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )

"And last but not least, _kore wa furoba desu_! (this is the bathroom!)", Tohru introduces the last room in the second level of the house to Kyo.

"Er…I think I'll take a bath…" he spoke in a slightly embarrassed, but emotionless tone.

"Bath it is! --- I'll just quickly place your belongings in the room you'll be sleeping in and I'll get you a towel, okay?"

"Ye..ah.."

Tohru glances at Kyo with gleaming, adoration eyes. "You're so beautiful, Kyo-san."

Kyo's face flushed with crimson glow. "W-what the hell!" he stammered.

"_Gomen nasai!_" she light-heartedly apologised.

Tohru quietly excused herself and leaves in haste, yet gently. Kyo's eyes were fixed upon her. He was slightly blushing, muddled and somewhat disturbed. Though, before the voice in his head could comment, she returns with a large and comfortable-looking white towel. She hands it to him with a smile and he murmurs his gratitude. She, again, leaves and he enters the bathroom and locks the sliding door.

"Man…" his voice was undertone as he turns on the bath tap to moderately hot, "what's up with her?"

He stripped off his two shirts and his black singlet, exposing his abdomen.

"What kind of girl would let a male stranger spend a night at her house when she's all alone?" he began unbuttoning his pants. "Seriously, she's probably really lone---"

Kyo sees his reflection in the mirror.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He let out his most blood-curdling scream, ever. He speedily approached the half-body mirror.

"WHAT THE F--"

"KYO-SAN! KYO-SAN! ARE YOU ALRIGHT! WHAT'S HAPPENING! KYO-SAAAN!" the outcrying and frightened Tohru reiterated, extravagantly thumping the door.

Kyo pretended to settle himself.

"Uhh..ah..the water is just too hot...That's all! Hahaha!" he faked a laughing voice.

"_Daijoubo desu ka?_ (Are you alright?)" She asked in a concerned tone.

"_Hai!.._ _Daijoubo desu_! (Yes!…I'm alright!) Hahahahaha!"

( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )

Kyo is soak and half-lying down in the bath, feeling agitated and apprehensive. Discovering something disastrous as this is not a time to be relaxed.

"How the hell did it happen?…" He questioned himself distressingly. "And who!" Minutes later, his face expression changed, as if, he figured everything. "That bitch! -- She must've done it while we were staying in the mountains!…" he added, with his fist clenched and grinding teeth. Kyo remained like that for a couple of minutes.

"Hell, no use of getting angry now…" he sighed, trying to calm his nerves down. He got out of the bath and reached for his towel. He then approached and faced the mirror. His angriness came back, yet he was blushing.

"Damn! It's permanent! --- I STILL look like a girl!"

( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )

"That is where you and I will be sleeping in tonight!" Tohru, in cute baby pink pyjamas, was pointing at her queen-size bed with a decorated lavender quilt. "I hope you don't mind.. I don't want to trespass my best friends' rooms or my mothe--"

"I'd prefer sleeping on the floor," Kyo said bluntly with guilt. He was sweating tiny bullets while his heartbeat pounded heavily under a traditional Japanese pyjama, for girls, which Tohru has lent him.

"Oh.. Okay!" she smiled. "I'll get the spare mattress out for you!"

Tohru drops down on her knees and bends over to search for the single-size mattress under her bed.

"She hasn't got the slightest clue…," he guiltily thought.

She placed and made his bed adjacently to hers.

"This should be enough," she turns to him, "please tell me if it's uncomfortable or if you need another quilt."

Tohru stands and stares at the quaint person before her. "Your hair is so lustrous! You truly are beautiful, Kyo-san... I bet so many guys are courting you!" Her eyes sparkled with stars of admiration.

"Naaaaah..I don't think so..Hahahahah!" his fake giggle hinted a sign of aggravation. He quickly guided Tohru to her bed. "It's late, you should sleep."

Tohru smiled and went under her quilt and Kyo did the same.

"_Oyasumi nasai_ (Good night), Kyo-san."

"_Oyasumi…_"

**End of Chapter 1: Quaintness **

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

Hey Readers! Thank you for taking your time to read this "not-so-long" 1st chapter of my Fruits Basket fan fiction, "_Tanoshitoishi_"! I would love to continue this story therefore I will need some reviews.. Please? XD By the way, if you're wondering of what the title of this story means, well then…review. :P Because I will explain it in the chapter 2. I will also give you the description of what Kyo's apparent appearance. Hehe. By the way, if you found any errors above, please feel free to point it out in your review. Thank you! Bye!

**--Lu-Lu (a.k.a PSM-chan)**


	2. Stranger

**'Tanoshitoishi' - By: Lu-Lu**

**Chapter 2: Stranger**

It was a heavenly morning. The enormous sun radiated aloft in the cerulean sky and birds were chirping harmoniously. It was an unusual start of the day, due to last night's rain of snow. The particles of the snow in the streets of Hojinakaze, a suburb in Kanazawa, leisurely dissolved.

The sun's ray hits a beautiful creature's sleeping face. This sleeping beauty's skin is lightly tanned and flawless, its lip colour is natural, and its cheeks were pinkish. It also has orange-coloured and shoulder-length dazzling hair. This creature unknowingly frowns, then flickers its long, dark and curly false eyelashes with such charm, as it began to awake, unveiling its crystalline dark-ruby eyes.

"Hmn.." it groaned and yawned during its stretch. The beautiful creature arose and sat up on its bed -- manly. The seventeen-year-old, Kyo Sohma is the beautiful creature…

"I'm starved.." He inactively stood up. His eyes wandered around the room as he did another stretch. He looked below his body and fixed up the female traditional Japanese pyjama he was wearing.

"That's right..."

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

It is 8:30 in the morning of Monday. Tohru Honda is in the kitchen preparing a big breakfast. She was awake since 6:00am and has done several of the housework, including cleaning the shop. Kyo entered the room delicately blushing.

"Hey…" he greeted her dryly, in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"_Ohayo gozaimasu _(Good morning), Kyo-san!" she smiled cheerfully towards him. She was distributing plates and chopsticks on the dinner table. "Did you sleep alright?"

"It was good… I guess…"

"Oh…you still have a cold. I have some medicine you could take. I just need to do this an--"

"No!" he interrupted her as quickly as he could. "It's okay... I-I'm fine."

Kyo strived to close that topic. Not to be harsh to her, except, to maintain his cold, considering it made him realise that he does not sound like his normal manly voice with it. Ever since he had been hiking down from the mountains, it seemed that his nostrils were blocked every single time he talked, as though someone was squeezing his nose.

"Oh! I'm sorry… Silly me!" she giggled, "you must not like counting on medicines. That's really amazing!"

"Yeah. That's it." Kyo responded dryly, as he can't believe how much of a naive she is.

"Well, I guess all I could do to help you is for you to have breakfast with me!" she announced while she pointed on the dinning table, "it's ready!"

"Amazing…" he mumbles mentally as he sat down on one of the chairs. Their mouth-watering breakfast was served.

"_Itadakimasu_!"

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

Tohru is wiping the table and Kyo bewilderedly arrange the dishes and glasses on the sink. Actually, Kyo can cook several viands. He is clever in cooking though he denies this talent. However, one thing he is almost never good at is handling and washing dishes. In his mind, dishes are those 'things that you throw when you're angry'. He slowly opens the tap water, as his face expression cries out "I don't wanna do this…"

"Oh! You don't have to do that! You're my guest!" Tohru finally noticed what Kyo was about to do. Her voice was concerned and worried. "Please leave the whole thing to me."

"Okay." Kyo replied so instantly. He was relieved inside. "I'm gonna go change now."

"Okay! Please tell me if you need anything!" she reminded Kyo, who was about to walk out the door.

He stopped and slowly turned to his right shoulder, enabling him to see her. He took a deep, yet silent, breath.

"Uh…T-Thanks for the breakfast..." he stammered a bit, as a hint of shyness showed.

"You're welcome!"

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

Kyo changed to his clothes, his manly clothes. He refused to wear any of the female clothes he saw in one of his three bags. He anticipated that Tohru would consider him as a 'tomboy'. And he was right. She did thought he was just 'tomboy-like'. In fact, she said, "This might sound weird, but, it's actually nice to see a girl wearing manly clothes. I mean, with the fashion nowadays, many girls expose their stomachs. I have nothing against it. Really, it looks fine! -- Though, the weather is rather cool, so, they could easily catch cold! -- And it's nice to be quaint sometimes too!"

"Seriously, so what if those girls catch some cold, flu or fever, whatever. She doesn't even know who they are. The only thing she knows about them is that they are 'girls'. That's about it. So, what gives?" Kyo questioned himself after her.

Tohru is helping Kyo make his bed as she tells him the story about another stranger girl who previously stayed over her house because she couldn't find any hotels around. Whilst she tell him this, he is begins to realise and worry about his situation.

"What brings you here in Hojinakaze, Kyo?" she inquired, "or do you have relatives to visit somewhere in Kanazawa?"

"Actually…" he paused for a while, as though deciding to tell her the truth or not. Finally he spoke. "I don't even know the name of this suburb until you said so. I WAS with a friend on the mountains somewhere on the north, but she deserted me. I woke up and I was alone. -- Hell, I don't even know anyone here! I don't even freakin' know how to go back home!"

"_Nani_! _Doko ni sunde imasu_? (What! Where do you live?)"

"…Kagoshima."

"_NANI_! -- Kagoshima is very, very far away from here! It's on the very south of Japan!"

"…"

"Are you sure you don't know anyone here in Hojinakaze?"

"No."

"Anywhere in Kanazawa?"

"No."

"Outside Kanazawa?…Fukui?"

"Um…Where's Fukui?"

"Oh my!…" Tohru nearly fainted. She couldn't handle his situation. She held her forehead, trying to brainstorm any ideas to help.

"Oh! Any contact numbers?"

"The new owner of my phone is a bear and I don't memories phone numbers except for mine."

"Oh, Kyo…" she said as she cautiously sat on her bed due to her over-shock. "You poor thing… You have no contact with the people you know and you're homeless…"

"Hey, you make it sound like I'm abandoned."

"Gomen nasai…" her face revealed her sadness by Kyo's situation.

"Hey, hey! It's alright! Hell, I ain't even that worried about it, so shouldn't you. I mean, seriously, I'm just a strang---"

"_HAI_!"

"…Huh?"

"This circumstance have not ever occurred before, but…" she immediately stood up and flitted towards Kyo. She grasped his hands and gazed upon his eyes.

"Please stay here."

"Ugh…" Kyo couldn't conceal his blushing crimson-red face, he was uneasy about the girl holding his hands, let alone staring at him with such sincere eyes. Moreover, only one girl has ever held his hands before…and she was his annoying cousin and…suitor.

"_Onegai_ (Please), Kyo-san?" she tightened her hold of his hands. "I know we're strangers from each other, however, from what I have seen in you, you're a good-hearted girl."

"…Shit."

That's it. It was the fact that she thinks he is a female, is the reason why she is asking for him to stay at her house. Kyo cannot, could not and would not want to lie to the girl.

"You see, I can't stay here. You really don't know me. I really don't know you. Damn it, can't you even tell that I'm a gu--"

"_Onegai, _Kyo san? -- You don't have to pay for the accommodation, the meals or anything. I just really want to help you. As soon as you find any of your relatives or make contact with them, you can leave without feeling like you owe me something. _Onegai_, Kyo-san?" She looked at him so genuinely.

"O_negai_?"

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

"I'm seriously just being swept away," Kyo comments mentally, "Just about 2 hours ago she was practically begging for me to stay and now what? -- Here I am at the shopping centre -- with her, shopping for her shop. -- Why the hell did I even say yes to her dammit! -- Who knows if that curse - that THING - still happens to me. Sure I'm passed the age, but we're never really sure about anything. She doesn't even know me but she still insisted for me to live at her house and not pay for anything at all. What is wrong with her?…Seriously. -- Why is she so…Why IS she so--"

"Kyo-san, could you please pass me two of those 3kg bag of sugar…Hehe… I can't reach it," she unknowingly interrupted his mental commenting.

"Sure," he reached out and grabbed two packages.

"_Arigatou gozaimasu_!" she warmly smiled.

"…Why is she so nice," Kyo finally concluded his question, mentally, as mystification filled his grey matter.

Kyo's life doesn't involve a lot of females. The only females in his life are his own family: his mother, several aunties and a few cousins including his only suitor. Having the 'curse' of the Sohma clan… Being possessed by the outcast member of the _Juunishi_ (Chinese Zodiac) animal's spirit and transforming into that animal whenever an opposite sex embrace him… Is something the 'real world' cannot and will not understand, thus, it must be kept unknown. To attain the secret, the cursed Sohmas were to attend schools with only the same sex and must stay in the Sohma Residence, a greatly extensive estate with homes that almost seemed like a town, until their curse reach its limitation. Though, aside the curse, he has true belief in his self-made quote "women are not appealing".

"Oh, um, I'm sorry Kyo-san, but could you reach four of those canned cherries for me?" she giggled, "I've always wanted to buy those, but I can never reach them. And what's funny is that whenever my two best friends, Uo-chan and Hana-chan, are here with me to shop, I always forget to buy them and they are able to reach it!"

"How many do you want?"

"Oh, four please!"

Kyo reached and placed the cans in the trolley.

"_Arigatou_, Kyo-san. Hehe…Lucky that you're so tall!" once more, she smiled after praising him.

"Listen Tohru-kun," he broke the adulating air, which Tohru created, with a soft yet deep tone. "If you don't want me to pay you back by cash, that's fine by me. But, what I'm not fine about is that I have nothing else to pay you back… So, I decided… I…I want to help out with the whole shop thing. I can be a waiter, a cook, a cleaner, a greeter -- whatever, whichever. I want to help out, alright? And you can't refuse."

" …_Arigatou! Kyo-san wa totemo shinsetsu desu! _(Kyo-san is very kind!)," another compliment from her, as she gave him a warm, sympathetic smile. "If you insist, then yes, I will not refuse."

"Well, that's settled." He blushed and turned away from her heart-touching smile.

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

A couple of hours have passed and it was now 3o'clock in the afternoon. Kyo and Tohru have bought a trolley full groceries for the shop. As a self-reward, they went to the food court and ordered some medium-sized ice cream sundaes.

"I'll have chocolate." Kyo ordered, not even looking at the young lady behind the counter.

"And I'll have strawberry flavoured one, thank you!"

After they received their sundaes, Tohru, who was holding both of the sundaes, spotted two vacant seats and a table and leaded Kyo, who was pushing the trolley. Tohru sighed as they both sat on each seat.

"Whoa, it's only been a couple of hours and we've already bought so much!" she chuckled. "Whenever I went shopping alone, the time seemed to fly so quickly."

"You said you live with your two best friends?"

"Yup! Although, they have been gone for a week and a half and I've been shopping alone ever since."

"Uh… --- When will your best friends come back from wherever they are?"

"Oh, well, Uo-chan is in Yokohama, visiting her cousins and also doing some training. Hana-chan, on the other hand, is in Chiba, spending some time with her family."

"What about you? Don't you have anyone to visit?"

"Well, my mother owns the house and shop that we're living in here in Kanazawa, but since she's not here, I'm its acting-owner. My mother is in South Korea and my father has passed away when I was very little. My other relatives still lives in Yokohama, where we used to live."

"…Do you still go to school?"

"Yup! I sure do! I'm in my third year of high school! But we're currently on our winter break right now. What about you, Kyo-san, do you attend school?"

"The last time I check, yes. But, I'm not so sure about that now…We're on our break too. And yeah, I'm in third year."

"Oh! May I know the name of your school? I know some schools in Kagoshima and I might recognise yours."

"Uh…It's Ka--" Kyo paused and got a sudden shock. He became slightly nervous when he realised what he was about to tell her. Kyo attends an all-boys private school. So, to divert the attention, he purposely, though not obviously, hit his sundae with his hand, making it spill on the table.

"Oh!…Damn…" he pretentiously exclaimed.

"Uh-oh! Your sundae, Kyo-san!" Tohru used her tissues to wipe the table. "Would you like another sundae?"

"Nah, it's all good. It'll just worsen my cold. And anyway, didn't you say before that there are some fresh fruits being delivered at your shop at 4pm?"

"Ah! That's right! Thank you for the reminder!"

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

Kyo and Tohru had so much grocery shopping bags that they had to catch a taxi to go home, since a bus would be too crowded.

It was Kyo's first time in a taxi, and basing on that experience, he did not find it pleasant. How could he when the young taxi driver kept on glancing and checking him out through a car mirror. The two also caught him frequently winking at Kyo.

"Whoa! You're beauty is admired everywhere, Kyo-san!" Tohru whispered at the agitated-looking Kyo.

"Yo, driver!" he called with such firm voice. He paused for the driver to answer.

"Yes, miss…?" the young taxi driver retorted.

"Quit winking at me or else I'm gonna pun--" he broke his sentence after realising it wasn't such 'lady-like'.

"…Or else we're not gonna pay you for the service!" he threatened the driver, as he watched him nodded.

They reached their place at 3:45pm, just in time to prepare the space for the fruits.

"Tohru-kun, the fruits are here!" Kyo announced as he saw the _Kawaii_ _Kudamono_ (Cute Fruit) Delivery's truck parking outside the shop.

Kyo and the truck driver carried the seven boxes of fruits inside the shop. Tohru checks her list.

"_Ringo_ (apples)… hai -- _Suika_ (watermelons)…hai -- _Ichigo_ (strawberries)…hai -- _Momo_ (peaches)…hai -- _Meron_ (melons)…hai -- Banana…hai -- _Orenji_ (oranges)…HAI!" she gladly ticked all the points in her list. "Everything's here Tanaka-san! _Arigatou gozaimasu_!"

"You're welcome," snorted Mr Tanaka, the middle-aged deliverer and truck driver. "Let me know if there's anything you want to replace, Honda-san."

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

It took a while, however both Tohru and Kyo have finished arranging all the groceries and fruits to their correct locations. The two are now in the shop. Tohru is sweeping the floor, whilst Kyo each collapses the boxes.

"Hey, who named this shop?" Kyo inquired Tohru.

"Well, actually, my mother gave me the honour of naming it!" she said happily.

"So…How did you come up with 'Tanoshitoishi'?…And what the heck does it mean?"

"Hehe…When you break the word down, it's actually _'tanoshii to oishii'._"

"Why 'fun and delicious'?"

"Well, I wanted the people to visit here, not just because of the food, but also to have fun and hang out."

"I guess you got what you wanted," he pointed at the notice board that is full of various pictures and messages, "from what I see, it's pretty popular with the teenagers."

"Oh, yes, that board," she giggled, "some of my other friends at school and their friends of friends comes here to hang out, especially on the holidays. That reminds me! We're opened tomorrow!"

"…M-Many teenagers will come tomorrow?"

"It depends, Kyo-san. But, there are some customers that come in regularly. Oh! By the way, tomorrow, there will be a girl who will help us out here in the shop. She works here with me as the replacement of Uo-chan and Hana-chan. She lives next door, not in the one that's on the corner of this street, because that's a vacant. She lives on the right side of this shop. She's a very nice girl and she's our age also."

"Wait -- Tomorrow! She'll work with us tomorrow!…And people many people will come tomorrow?"

"It's alright Kyo-san, you'll do fine!" she comforted him, since she thought he was unstable because he was worried that he won't do good as being a shop employee.

"N-No…It ain't that!… Ugh! Never mind. -- Where do you want me to put these folded boxes?"

"In the stock room please, on the corner adjacent to the door. Thank you Kyo-san!"

Kyo instantaneously left and headed to the stock room. He placed the collapsed boxes on the corner it was meant to be then, stood up, disturbingly. He was disturbed all right. Somehow, he knew that tomorrow is not a very good day for him. Somehow, he felt that his secret would be revealed -- that is he's not a she. Would it really though? Tohru Honda did not figure out or any of the people in the shopping centre, also that taxi driver, so, would the girl Tohru mentioned would? What about the regular customers, would they find out also? And his curse? Oh goodness, his curse. His curse is the worst. What if it is still there? The head of the Sohmas said that the curse will 'vanish' once the person possessed it reaches the age of 16. However, who would believe him? Certainly not Kyo. And even though Kyo is already 17, he still didn't leave the Sohma Residence until the day his cousin and lover, Kagura Sohma, forced him to accompany her in visiting the mountains of Kanazawa…

"What the hell should I do…?"

**End of Chapter 2: Stranger**

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

Okay. There goes another lengthy chapter. I apologise, really I do. I will try to shorten them in the future…Hehe.. Well, I have no idea on how to commence the third chapter...So, I'm not sure when I am able to update! (

**Lu-Lu (a.k.a PSM-chan)**

**( -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- )**

**Responce to Reviews:**

**Demon Tenshi -- **LoL. Hey girl. Yes, I read the 6th chapter of NR. Hehe.. And I reviewed also. Indeed, that would be nice if you read it PROPERLY and not RUSHED like the other day.. Anyway, have fun on Kingdom Hearts! I just really want the theme song..:(

**Aria's star -- **Hey there. Yeah..I didn't explain that much on the chapter 1 because I really wanted to explain it on chapter 2 to just drag the story along.. Hehe. Thank you for reviewing!

**darkxnova **-- Hey-hey! LoL. Long time no see! Thank you for the compliment.. I do wish that you keep reading as I update along.. Wait, actually, I DEMAND you to:P Hehehe...


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